Police Investigating Art Thefts in Setauket

Two artists returned to their tents at Gallery North's outdoor art show in Setauket on the morning of Sept. 11 to find multiple works of art missing, according to police.

According to reports, five paintings by artist Maggie Shively and eight etchings and oils by artist Karen Kemp were stolen sometime between the time they closed up shop on Saturday evening and the time they returned Sunday morning.

Among the missing works of art was a four-foot by three-foot painting by Shively called "Wine and Glass," as well as an oil painting she was working on at the show, on which the paint was still wet. Kemp reported the theft of two oil paintings of landscapes, two framed etchings of birds, and four framed etchings of dogs.

Police are investigating the incident as petty larceny.

Gallery North Director Judith Levy and business manager Martha Stansbury said the incident appears to be isolated, and said nothing like this has happened in recent memory at the gallery's past outdoor art shows. They said the area was lit at night and that they had used the same hired security company the gallery has used for many years at the show. This year marked the gallery's 46th annual outdoor show.

"It's not just the gallery, it's a real mar to the community," Stansbury said Monday. "We hope they can recover [their works]. We just feel so awful for them."